I Vow to My Foster Dog…

When you foster a dog, you enter into a relationship wherein certain promises are made to ensure and preserve the vitality of the bond between you, your foster dog, and Dog House Adoptions.

These promises are the lifeblood of our foster dog program and why it works. If, after considering your level of commitment to each vow, you are ready to say “I do!” we eagerly await your dog foster application!

To My Dear Foster Dog,

I vow to provide compassionate and appropriate foster dog care.

I promise to open my home to you until you are successfully placed into a permanent home or, in the event our foster situation does not work out, another foster home.

I promise to provide you with loving and humane treatment, proper and nutritional foods, fresh water, appropriate toys, regular exercise, shelter from adverse weather and temperature extremes, and a safe fenced yard.

I promise that I will care for your bathing, brushing, ear cleaning, nail trimming needs, wiping the tear residue from your eyes and nose if need be.

To support the rescue program as a whole, I promise to provide this care without expectation of reimbursement – aside from all veterinary care covered by Dog House Adoptions.

I vow to prepare you for – and ease you into – the best home for your needs.

I promise to be patient and tolerant at all times while fostering, my primary goal being to help you become more adoptable.

I promise to work toward your house- and crate-training, if necessary, as well as to teach you good manners to help ease you into a wonderful and loving home.

I promise to never employ harsh training methods, will never physically or emotionally abuse you, and I will not let any other person or animal physically or emotionally abuse you.

I promise to work cooperatively with Dog House Adoptions to find you a permanent, loving home as quickly as possible once you are ready for adoption.

I promise to facilitate meetings between you and potential families, participating in application review, phone interviews, a home check, adoption, and follow-up.

I vow to keep you close and safe.

I promise that you will always wear a flat collar or harness that securely fits and an identification tag provided by Dog House Adoptions.

I promise that you will be an “indoor only” dog (living inside my home), not be left outside at any time without proper adult supervision or when I am away.

I promise that you will never be off-leash outside of a fenced area.

I promise to never allow strange people or animals ‑ people or animals unknown to you ‑ to approach you without being in full control of you and the situation.

I promise to make every effort to find you, with the help of Dog House Adoptions, if you are ever lost or stolen.

I vow to provide for you in sickness and in health.

While Dog House Adoptions provides 100% of your medical care, I promise to work in partnership with the organization to oversee your vaccinations, spaying or neutering, heartworm test, fecal test, de-worming, and micro-chipping, and to administer only approved and necessary medications.

I promise that you will receive emergency or life-saving medical treatment if you are ever in trouble.

I promise to help you in every way I can, knowing full well that there are no guarantees regarding your health, temperament, behavior, or your past history.

By saying I do I promise to love and care for you,
and I will try in every way to be worthy of your love.I will always be kind, patient and forgiving.I promise to keep a sense of humor.But most of all, I promise to be a true and loyal friend to you.I love you.

2 Comments

Thanks, Paula! An thanks for asking. We’d be honored if you shared a link to our principles of fostering on your blog! We just ask that you don’t reprint the article in it’s entirety as it will hurt our SEO as well as your blog’s.